Increasingly, hospitals are using bedside data management systems in order to perform typical hospital and nursing care functions. These systems bring together two important technologies--data management services as well as vital signs measurement and monitoring--together in one transportable unit. These systems help save time in diagnosis and care of patients. They enhance patient care. As well, they are effective in containing hospital costs, and in enhancing nursing effectiveness.
Typically, bedside data management systems provide data communications to a care management workstation either remotely or via a standard telephone wire. At the care management workstation unit is a microcomputer which stores patient data and controls information flow between the bedside and a central repository for data. Reports and other printed documents may be generated on a printer associated with the care management workstation unit. These care management workstation units are able to interface with other hospital information systems, such as admission records, patient transfers, laboratory reports, etc. These can all be electronically transferred to the care managment workstation unit as needed, either to update or pay the patient's record or to investigate and solve particular patient care problems.
Typically, these care management workstation units have both input capabilities through, for instance, a teletype keyboard or light pen, as well as output via a CRT (cathode ray tube) and printer. Yet, these bedside data management systems have had some significant drawbacks. For instance, the CRT's connected to the nursing systems unit typically are mounted so that they are either impossible or difficult to rotate to meet the needs of the nurse using the system. In fact, some CRT's are not attached to the system and must be retrofited. The CRT's may be difficult to use without moving the entire system, and cannot be adapted for use in either a standing or sitting position. If the CRT is mounted, it is generally done so inconveniently, that is by means of a limited motion ball joint which operates around the center of mass of the CRT, so that positioning of the CRT through more than 20.degree.-30.degree. is not possible. For this reason, the user is not simultaneously able to position the CRT for standing or sitting use.
As previously recognized, in many instances there is no mount associated with the CRT and the computer. As a result, the CRT either sits on the computer or apart from the unit. If there are mounts, these typically provide center of mass mounting so that there is no rotational capability for the system without the aforementioned balancing problem. In some instances, mounting is made apart from the unit, either on a wall or on a desk, so that it is difficult to use the unit associated with the computer. And, in cases where the CRT is mounted above the computer, there is usually not enough clearance between the CRT and the computer, so that there is no easy accessibility to the computer cover, or for use as a support or as a table, if desired.
Finally, concerning the system unit, the computer itself, typically these system units are not able to be mounted on either the wall or the table. The system units may be provided with either wall mounting or table mounting, but not both. They are typically quite large systems and so take up excessive space. These systems have an associated keyboard, yet the keyboard is not integral with the unit but rather is left freestanding, so that additional space for the keyboard is required. Furthermore, typical personal computers have no capability of having vital signs monitors built into them.
Many of these system units, furthermore, do not contain apparatuses for mounting a CRT. If there are mounting means, they do not provide strain relief for the mounting means, such that CRT mounting is quite flimsy.
Also, these systems do not contain internally isolated power supplies. Typically, they will have a transformer as a separate unit, such that if isolation of the power supply is required, one must make room for both the system unit with its power supply and an associated isolation transformer.
Another perceived drawback of previous systems is that they are ineffective to use with a cart for availability at the patient's bedside. This is because the system unit takes up the entire tabletop of the cart, and there is no place for the nurse to place any additional items which might be necessary for patient care, and well as convenience items such as pens, pads, coffee cups and the like.